13th Century Sabbath Observance
WALDENSES
"They say that the blessed
Pope Sylvester was the Antichrist of whom mention is made in the
Epistles of SSt. Paul as having been the son of perdition.[They also
say] that the keeping of the Sabbath ought to take place." Ecclesiastical
History of the Ancient Churches ofPiedmont," p.169 (by
prominent Roman Cathholic author writing about Waldenses)
FRANCE (Waldenses)
To destroy completely these heretics Pope Innocent III sent
Dominican inquistors into France, and also crusaders, promising
"a plenary remission of all sins, to those who took on them the
crusade...against the albigenses." Catholic
Encyclopaedia, Vol.XII, art."Raymond VI," p. 670
WALDENSES OF FRANCE
"The inquisitors...[declare] that the sign of a Vaudois,
deemed worthy of death, was that he followed Christ and sought to
obey the commandments fo God." History
of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages," H.C.Les, vol.1
FRANCE
Thousands of God's people were tortured to death by the
Inquisition, buried alive, burned to death, or hacked to pieces by
the crusaders. While devastating the city of Biterre the soldiers
asked the Catholic leaders how they should know who were heretics;
"Slay them all, for the Lord knows who is His." History
of the Inquisition, pp.96
FRANCE-KING LOUIS IX,1229
Published the statute "Cupientes" in which he
charges himself to clear southern France from heretics as the
Sabbath-keepers were called.
WALDENSES OF FRANCE
"The heresy of the Vaudois, or poor people of Lyons, is
of great antiquity, for some say that it has been continued down
ever since the time of Pope Sylvester; and others, ever since that
of the apostles." The Roman
Inquisitor, Reinerus Sacho, writing about 1230
FRANCE-Council Toulouse, 1229
Canons against Sabbath-keepers: "Canon 3.-The lords of
the different districts shall have the villas, houses and woods
diligently searched, and the hiding-places of the heretics
destroyed.
"Canon 14-Lay members are not allowed to possess the books
of either the Old or the New Testaments." Hefele,
5, 931, 962
EUROPE
"The Paulicians, Petrobusinas, Passaginians, Waldenses,
Insabbatati were great Sabbath-keeping bodies of Europe down to 1250
A.D."
PASAGINIANS
Dr. Hahn says that if the Pasaginians referred to the 4th
Commandment to support the Sabbath, the Roman priests answered,
"The Sabbath symbolised the eternal rest of the saints."
MONGOLIA
"The Mongolian conquest did not injure the Church of the
East. (Sabbath-keeping.) On the contrary, a number of the Mongolian
princes and a larger number of Mongolian queens were members of this
church."
